


Possibly

by AnnieYouSaveMe



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: City boy Harry, Goofy Niall, Harry adores him, Hermit Louis, Insecure Louis, Louis is convinced it's just not possible, Love at First Sight, M/M, Oblivious Louis, chubby Louis, nouis friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-17
Updated: 2014-03-17
Packaged: 2018-01-16 02:11:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1328029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnieYouSaveMe/pseuds/AnnieYouSaveMe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry let out a quiet laugh and stepped even closer, “Right, that ever happen to you? Any... handsome strangers come and sweep you off your feet?”</p><p>Louis' eyes widened. “Wha-how-how did how dididsss... Ehhh... No.” he shook his head, blushing, “Not-not yet.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Possibly

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by my favourite episode of The Vicar of Dibley.

Louis Tomlinson was _not_ lonely.

He wasn't.

All _that_ much. Sure he lived alone in his cottage in a tiny village called [Turville](http://www.blogcdn.com/travel.aol.co.uk/media/2012/04/rexfeatures664056e.jpg). Sure he was _kind of_ a recluse that did nothing besides eat and read, but really he did all his work from home anyway and there was really no reason for him to leave and food was just _good_. Besides, he went shopping every week; that was enough fresh air for him. And he had his family -whom he saw every Sunday for dinner- his dog, Jasper, and his best friend. It was enough.

Did he sometimes wish he had someone to keep him warm at night? Absolutely. And he'd had that a few times in the past, with his ex-girlfriends Hannah and Eleanor, and even Aiden, an old 'friend with benefits' – although _that_ whole thing had met a sticky end before they could even have proper sex. Louis supposed it was for the best, if he was going to give _that_ part of himself to someone, it should be someone he cares for and not a random prick who didn't give a shit about him, but all that had been back during high school and college. Now, he severely doubted anyone would want the chubby, village hermit he'd turned into and his little dog.  
  
At the moment he was listening to his neighbour and best friend, Niall, prattle about God knows what – he wasn't really paying attention, he loved the lad like a brother but he was totally bonkers.

He was just having a sip of tea when Niall decided to say something interesting. “Alright, get your jacket, I'm off to welcome that new bloke and you're coming with me.”

Louis swallowed the hot liquid and released a long breath, blowing his fringe off of his forehead. “The one from London?”  
  
“Nope, The one from Mars.”  
  
Louis raised his nose in the air. “Someone's a grumpy cow, and yes, I'll come. I've been wanting to give that towny bastard a piece of my mind. I'm fed up with rich Londoners taking over our village.”  
  
“Louis... be _nice_.”  
  
“I don't know what you're talking about Nee, I'm a joy.”  
  
Louis wiped his glasses, fixed his hair and yanked on his baggy knitted jumper, it didn't improve him at all -Louis knew he wasn't the best looking lad in the world, but he wasn't about to go visiting a neighbour looking like shit on a stick; even if he was about to chew said neighbour out.

He was civilized, after all.

 

The walk to the cottage was a tiny one, barely three minutes; unfortunately it was November, so it seemed longer.  
  
When they arrived at the front door he knocked swiftly three times.

No answer.  
  
“Ugh, typical.” Louis huffed. “So damn _snotty_. Mr. Tony Tosser can't even be bothered to open the door to us common country folk.”  
  
“You absolutely hate him, don't you?” Niall laughed.  
  
“I _loath_ him, and everything he stands for.”  
  
Admittedly, Louis had never set eyes on this wanker, but all rich city lads were the same.

Just then, the door opened, and a tall, curly headed bloke stepped out, smiling at himself and Niall.  
  
“Oh, hello.” Curly said with a smile.  
  
It was dark, but the porch light was enough for Louis to see that the man was gorgeous, of course he was, _god-damnit._ He suddenly felt self-conscious.  
  
Niall answered for both of them,“Hello!” .  
  
“Would you like to come in?”  
  
Louis finally found his voice -his high-pitched squeaky voice _oh fuck everything_. “Yes, lovely.”  
  
They followed Curly inside, where there had to be hundreds of boxes and books stacked every-bloody-where. Louis was so busy taking it all in that he didn't notice the green eyes blazing a hole in the side of his face.  
  
“Sorry it's a bit of a mess, I just moved out of this big flat in London. It's gonna be a bit of a squeeze... squeezing it all in.” Curly said, still staring at Louis -who was still staring at the boxes.

Niall pinched his arm, breaking him out of his little trance. “Huh?” he said, suddenly feeling a strong urge to blush at the same time Niall asked “Do ya need some help unpacking, mate?” 

“Nah, S'alright. Thanks mate, and if you see anything you like the look of just steal it, I'll never know.”  
  
Niall perked up. “Really?”  
  
“No not _really_.” Louis hissed, slapping his friends arm.  
  
“Oh, I'm Harry, by the way. Sorry, all over the shop today.”  
  
Louis smiled and extended his hand, “Oh! Right, I'm Louis and I just live down the lane.”  
  
Harry smiled back widely, dwarfing Louis' tiny hand with his own. “Excellent!”  
  
“And I'm Niall.”  
  
“Splendid!” Harry beamed, shaking his hand also. 

Louis licked his lips and stared at the wall  -again, missing the way Harry's gaze snapped to his mouth when he did- he was too focused on his own arm, which was still tingling from the handshake. 

“What a surprise to actually receive a visit from a neighbour!” Harry said happily. “Lived on the same street in London for six whole years, bell never rang once.”  
  
“We had a bell like that. We wired it wrong.” Niall announced.

Louis resisted the urge to smack his friend on the head in favor of making conversation.  
  
“So, Harry. Lots of books!” he observed, lifting his arms to indicate the massive pile.  
  
Harry's smile grew even wider “Yes. Absolutely love 'em, my weakness. So small, yet _so_ full of wonder and beauty.”  
  
Niall made a noise in the back of this throat like he'd just narrowly stopped a burst of laughter. Louis turned and narrowed his eyes at his friend as if to say 'I will end your existence you fucking leprechaun' 

Niall cleared his throat. “Me too!”  
  
Louis rolled his eyes. “Ignore him.”  
  
“Excellent!” Harry said, “Your favourite book?”

Bloody hell. “No seriously, _Ignore him_.”

“It's tricky...” Niall said thoughtfully. “It's a toss up between Winnie The Pooh...”  
  
Louis shook his head.“ _Here_ we go.”   
  
“...and The Little Mole Who Knew It Was None of His Business.”  
  
“Jackpot!” Louis crowed sarcastically.  
  
Harry frowned a little, looking back and forth between them. “Can't say that I know that one...”  
  
“Oh it's great!” Niall confirmed excitedly . “It's like a sort of... modern mystery thriller. You see, someone, and we don't know who, does a poo on the head of the little mole.”

Louis smiled at Harry like he was in pain. “It's about a poo.”  
  
God, he was going to think he's moved into a village full of idiots obsessed with shitting on moles.

“Uh.. so, Harry. What are your favourite books?” Louis asked, trying to get his attention off his dolt of a friend.

It worked, because Harry turned toward him with another huge smile. “Pretty traditional stuff, really. Tolkien, Bird Song...” as he spoke, Harry moved closer until he was barely a foot away from him and Louis forced himself to stay still and not run out of the cottage screaming 'Fire!' “And what about you, Louis?”

“Well... I love Jane Austen.” he admitted, trying his best to keep eye contact with the man staring down at him. He cleared his throat, “I think Sense and Sensibility is my favourite... well, any of the ones where someone gets swept of their feet by a handsome stranger, after a couple of juicy fist fights and a terrible misunderstanding.”

Harry let out a quiet laugh and stepped even closer, “Right, that ever happen to you? Any... handsome strangers come and... sweep you off your feet?”

Louis' eyes widened. “Wha-how-how did how dididsss... Ehhh... No.” he shook his head, blushing, “Not-not yet.”

 _That gaze_  was piercing him and it felt like fire.

“Well then...” Harry said huskily, and Louis could only stare up at him, heart pounding and face flaming.  
  
Until Niall coughed.  
  
Then the spell was broken and Harry was apologizing. “Sorry, sorry,” he said, gesturing to the sofa where Louis gladly sat, legs feeling like jelly. “You came here with a great sense of purpose... what can I do for you?” he asked, sitting on the coffee table directly in front of Louis.  
  
“Oh! I almost forgot. We just came to say Welcome to the village and all comers are all welcome here in the bosom of Turville. I-I think that was it, wasn't it Niall?”  
  
“Yeah. Apart from the bits about being fed up to the back teeth with you towny bastards-” Harry looked at him, amused, as Niall continued bobsledding him to an early grave via embarrassment.

“-coming to our village and destroying our local community with your smug selfishness.”  
  
Louis let out a nervous laugh, "Yeahh... apart from that bit. You towny bastard.”  
  
[~*~](http://youtu.be/V_gMDqFSAB4)  
  
Half an hour later Louis was closing the door to his own cottage and banging his head against the wood while his little dog bounced at his feet. “That went well I think,” he muttered to Jasper. “Up until I called him a bastard, at least.”  
  
He could have sworn Harry had been staring at him - he quickly darted over to the mirror hanging in the hall – maybe he had jam on his chin or something...  
  
But no. There was nothing on his face apart from his glasses and fringe.

Perhaps Harry had thought he was meeting a real live troll. There couldn't be any other explanation, Louis didn't get lusted after, especially by men who looked like _that_. The only people who hit on him were the ones who assumed he was desperate enough to accept anyone in his bed.

' _But he was flirting with you_!' A little voice in his mind whispered.

No, there was absolutely no _way_ , no _how_ , that Harry, gorgeous Harry, would ever be interested in a fat little hermit like him.

End. Of. Story.

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize for any mistakes!
> 
> If you would like to see what happens next, let me know! If not, thank you for reading xo.


End file.
